1. Field
Embodiments may relate to a refrigerator, and more particularly to a refrigerator capable of easily moving a shelf mounted to a storage chamber without separation of the shelf.
2. Background
A refrigerator is an appliance for storing food, etc. within a storage chamber in a frozen or refrigerated state by discharging, into the storage chamber, cold air generated through a refrigeration cycle constituted by a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, an evaporator, etc.
Such a refrigerator includes, as storage compartments, a freezing compartment for storing food or beverages in a frozen state, and a refrigerating compartment for storing food or beverages at low temperature.
At least one of plural doors installed at a refrigerator is connected to one side of a body by a hinge, to open or close a front side of the body through pivotal movement thereof. In addition to such a door, which pivots about a hinge, a drawer type door may also be provided. The drawer type door may include a drawer, and a door mounted to a front side of the drawer, to be withdrawn or retracted in a forward or rearward direction, along with the drawer.
Storage compartments of a refrigerator (i.e., freezing and refrigerating compartments) are provided with a plurality of shelves to vertically divide the freezing and refrigerating compartments into sections, in order to store food articles having various sizes and to enhance space utilization.
Since food articles to be placed on such shelves may have various sizes, the shelves may be separably mounted at different levels in the freezing and refrigerating compartments while being movable to adjust mounting levels thereof.
Mounting of the shelves may be achieved by slidably mounting the shelves to a plurality of support ribs formed at left and right surfaces of the refrigerating and freezing compartments, or coupling a pair of cantilevers coupled to each shelf, and then mounting the cantilevers to mounting rails each formed with a plurality of vertically arranged holes.
However, level adjustment of shelves may be difficult and troublesome because, when it is desired to adjust the mounting level of a shelf, the user has to separate the shelf from the support ribs or mounting rails after completely removing food articles from the shelf, and then to mount the separated shelf to another level.
A structure capable of adjusting the level of a shelf while food is placed thereon is disclosed in Korean Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-2006-0040290, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference.
However, the structure may have a problem in that, when it is desired to adjust the level of a shelf, the user may have to move the shelf along an inclined guide slot in forward and rearward directions by a long distance. Furthermore, the shelf should be moved between an initial position and a final position by a considerable distance.
There may be a danger in that, when the shelf is used under a condition that the shelf is disposed at an upper position thereof, and food articles are placed on the shelf, the shelf may be moved to a lower position thereof along the guide slot.
Furthermore, the shelf may be inclined in a forward or rearward direction or in a left or right direction during vertical movement thereof, without being kept in a horizontal state. As a result, there may be a problem in that movement of the shelf becomes difficult, or food articles placed on the shelf may fall.